The St. Johns herald., 1887-08-18
Sanitary Condition of eur Jail.

EDITOR HERALD-The life of a tailor under favorable circumstances is not pleasant-thar of the jailed under no circumstances is comfortable-but let the conditions be disagreeable and the occupation of the keeper is hardly bear able and the suffering of the kept is ut terly intolerable.
 The main object of a jail is not the punishment of it's inmates, but safe keeping until thelr trials are had, and the question of their punishment or re- lease finally determined. Many men are imprisoned through the ignorance of committing magistrates, through con- spiracies of their enemies, and owing to their poverty or other unfortunate cir cumstances, are forced to remain until, before an intelligent, impartial tribunal their innocence is proven. Isit just, or fair, or humane, to punish them before they are convicted? Certainly not, and yet such is the hygienic and unsafe con- dition of our jail, that the man who is forced there and remain for so short a time as month, not to speak of one- half year is severely punished, moral ly and physically, regardless of his guilt or innocence.
 Our jail having been erected with ref erence to the easy communication of its inmates with the outside world, the jailor is bound, as the result of it's un- safe condition, to shackle all who enter :; to fasten with rivets or locks great heavy chains around the legs of all, and man thus shackled never takes natural step while in prison.
 To an innocent, but unfortunate, man of pride or sensibility, the moral strain and stain of the shackles sinks deeper into his soul, than do those ugly chains into his flesh. In after life, when freed by the verdict of jury, the memory of that experience haunts him like an evil spirit, and produces one of two results inevitably, either causing such self-deg- radiation as to make him lost to shame, or begetting such enmity in his heart as constrains him to live for revenge alone, either result is harmful to society and fatally injurious to the individual. One has but to spend five minutes there to appreciate it's abominably unhealthy condition, choose the brightest and balm fest day you may, and in the jail there are fumes and odors that will test the stomach of the hardest, The circum- stances and conveniences considered, it is carefully and cleanly kept, but when six or ten men constantly live, eat, smoke and answer the calls of nature, within space of thiIty feet square, sui ficient purity of atmosphere for ordi- nary health is impossible. It has al ready met the official condemnation of the best medical authority of the coun- try-it certainly receives the anathemas of all intelligent and humane visitors. The present arrangement requires at VI lIlO J6tlIOL 0uCA clLlO offensive duties, as men are ordinarily only called on to render to their fellows in cases of helpless and extreme sick ness. There is absolutely no provision for the keeping of an unfortunate insane person or a woman-all must needs be together, except probably at night. The remedy is simple, cheap and easy to be had. An inexpensive water closet will dispense with the offensive and un- healthy feature. Steel or grated cells, which could be used elsewhere, if the jail should be rem ed, would obviate the use of shackles, for the use of which there is no law, but that of necessity. These views, though crudely framed, are universally entertained, generally expressed by the tax payers of the coun- ty, and arc commended to the consider ation of our Supervisors, all of whom are men of liberal and humane views.
 HUMANITARIAN.
 e. TobDc AuO 1S 1897